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The college search can be extremely stressful-- you have to write application essays, figure out what you want to study, think about financing your education, and keep up with your normal day-to-day obligations. This can all get a lot more difficult when you’re not even sure what schools offer the best course of study for you.
We aim to make this process just a little bit easier by identifying some of the best colleges to attend if you’re interested in pursuing dance professionally. All of the schools on this list have great dance programs-- so if you want to be a professional dancer, look into them!
What Goes Into Choosing a School for Dance?
The performing arts are notoriously competitive, so hopeful professional dancers should definitely be careful when choosing a college to attend. There are a number of factors to consider when doing your college research.
You’ll want to make sure, firstly, that the schools you’re considering do have programs and offer instruction in the kind of dance that you’re passionate about-- not all schools do. Extracurricular opportunities are also a huge deal with the performing arts. Since dance is so competitive after college, having a well-rounded resume with performing experience on it will be extremely helpful for when you graduate. Try to look for schools with active theater and dance departments that put on performances and recitals on a regular basis or work with local theaters and dance studios.
And on the topic of resumes and post-graduation opportunities-- lots of schools offer counseling services to help students line up their employment opportunities for after college. This can be an extremely valuable resource as you learn to navigate the competitive world of the professional performing arts.
Schools that offer a variety of dance programs, counseling services for graduation, and a wide variety of opportunities to put what you learn to use and perform will usually be great options for a dance student. But what are some of the schools that fit those criteria? Here are some of the best colleges for dance!
The Best Colleges for Dance
Juilliard School
It may come as no surprise that Juilliard is starting off our list of the best colleges for dance. Juilliard has an excellent four-year dance program, at the end of which students earn a Bachelor of the Fine Arts in Dance. Students receive instruction in a variety of dance styles, including four years of ballet, modern dance, tap, jazz, hip-hop, and improvisation, so you’re almost certain to find your niche here.
The school also puts on over two dozen dance performances a year, so there are plenty of opportunities to perform and demonstrate your growth as a dancer. Juilliard is extremely competitive, though-- so if this is your dream school, make sure you’re preparing yourself to have the best odds of acceptance you can!
University of Arizona School of Dance
The University of Arizona has an excellent dance program for students pursuing a BFA, MFA, or a minor in dance. The program is well-reputed for its contemporary and classical dance curriculums. Students have the opportunity to tailor their studies toward their personal post-graduation goals-- tracks exist that prepare students for concert dance, commercial dance, or dance portfolio.
The University of Arizona’s calendar is also packed full of performance opportunities for students, with over three dozen dance performances a year-- you’ll have plenty of opportunity to showcase your growth here. University of Arizona alumni have a good history of going professional, too, so there are definitely resources available to help you figure out where you’re going after college.
CalArts School of Dance
CalArts is another extremely competitive option on this list, but its dance program is excellent for students who want to develop a comprehensive understanding of a wide variety of dance styles and aspects of the dance industry. Students have the opportunity to study under highly successful faculty members who have danced with studios like Complexions Contemporary Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, and Nederlands Dance Theater.
Dance students at CalArts receive training in dance techniques including ballet, contemporary, and hip-hop, and learn about the stages of dance production-- such as staging, lighting, and costuming. Plenty of resources are also available to help students plan for after graduation-- so if you’re set on getting into a well-rounded dance program, keep CalArts on the list.
University of South Florida School of Theatre and Dance
The University of South Florida’s four-year undergraduate dance program places an emphasis on ballet and modern dance while also providing students with a strong background in choreography. The program aims to teach students the ins and outs of dance theory and kinesiology in order to mitigate injuries throughout their careers and works with guest choreographers to put on dance workshops throughout the year.
If you’re interested in studying abroad, USF also offers an excellent opportunity for dance students to spend a semester in Paris. If you’re passionate about pursuing dance, USF should definitely be on your list of schools to investigate!
Boston Conservatory
Another well-known entry on this list, Boston Conservatory was the first college in the US to have an integrated ballet and modern dance department. Besides that, the school just has a great dance program. Students can choose to focus on contemporary or commercial dance and are exposed to a great variety of dance styles including ballet and modern dance (of course), jazz, improvisation, pointe, musical theater dance, and swing.
The school also partners with studios to provide students with more training and offers summer programs for those who want extra guided practice during the summer. This is truly a rigorous program, so keep it in mind if you’re interested in dance in college!
New York University
Dance students at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts should be prepared to start accumulating experience and hit the ground running from the beginning of their freshman year. NYU’s dance program places an equal emphasis on performance and choreography for both ballet and contemporary dance. The program also provides students with a strong background in music literature, dance history, and improvisation, among other subjects.
Performance-wise, NYU provides plenty of studio performance opportunities, and the school partners with the Second Avenue Dance Company in order to give students the chance to learn from active professionals in the dance world. This is a great college to keep in mind if you want a rigorous dance program while also maintaining the excitement of traditional campus life.
Cornish College of the Arts
Cornish College of the Arts aims to provide students with a strong background in various styles of dance, including contemporary dance, modern dance, jazz, and ballet while also fostering a sense of creative freedom in their students. Students spend an average of 6 to 8 hours in the studio per day, so you’ll have plenty of practice as a dance major here, and you’ll receive instruction in technique, choreography, screen dance, performance, and more.
With so many areas of focus and plenty of studio time to help students get as much practice as they can throughout their studies, Cornish’s dance program is rigorous and well-equipped to set students up for success in the professional world. For those who want an idea of what their schedule as a dance major may look like, Cornish publishes the major requirements online. Check it out!
Southern Methodist University
The Meadows School of the Arts at Southern Methodist University, located in Dallas, Texas, is a top dance conservatory that also offers a liberal arts education-- so students that attend this school are sure to receive a well-rounded education spanning several subjects. The dance program places a focus on ballet, jazz, and modern dance, and offers both a minor and a Bachelor of the Fine Arts in dance performance.
After two years of instruction in all three varieties of dance, students have the opportunity to choose what techniques they want to focus on. SMU also emphasizes student choreography and provides guided instruction as students learn the ins and outs of choreographing their own dances.
Those Were the Best Colleges for Dance!
The transition into college can be jarring as you learn new skills and start to operate on your own as a young adult. But it’s much easier when you have a general idea of what direction you want to go in-- what kinds of things make you happy, what kind of career you may want, and what schools can help you get there.
The schools on this list all have excellent dance programs for students who want to go on to a professional dancing career. There are plenty of other great colleges out there, too-- lots of schools with strong theater programs will also have strong dance departments, so feel free to do more research! We wish you luck in all of your future endeavors!
